CA AB156

Exempts public members of the State Bar's board of trustees from conflict-of-interest provisions regarding relationships with licensees and employers.

Authorizes the Court Reporters Board to issue certificates for voice writing as a method of shorthand reporting and requires equal treatment of certificate holders regardless of qualification method.

Extends debt collector licensing provisions, allowing applications submitted before January 1, 2023 to operate pending approval and authorizing conditional licenses pending fingerprint clearance completion.

Establishes the California HOPE for Children Trust Account Program to provide trust accounts to eligible children in foster care or whose parents died of COVID-19, with funds excluded from taxable income and earnings calculations for tax credit eligibility.

Makes numerous budget-related technical changes including updates to FISCal system governance, appropriations limit calculations, advance payment authorization for grant recipients, and sheepherder/goat herder labor protections.